Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Lying within the ruins of a long-destroyed bed, Vahn, appearing far more muscular than normal, exhaled a hot sigh tinged with a pale golden vapor. At his side, nestled against him with glistening red fur covering much of her body, Yuri could be seen tracing the runic pattern covering his body with a glazed look in her eyes. She honestly looked even more beautiful now than she had nearly a year prior, not because he had grown accustomed to her presence, but because her untamed hair, phenomenal aura, and cross-like pupils gave off the impression of a domesticated yet remarkably powerful Goddess...Grasping her wayward hand with his own, a smile spread across Vahn's face as Yuri turned her face up to meet his. This resulted in an almost instinctual exchange of saliva, and, as was often the case, the tip of Yuri's monkey-like tail began to twitch as the fur across her body began to shimmer due to the gradual release of her aura. Before things could follow their usual pattern, however, a chuckle arose from Vahn's throat as he separated their lips and said, "Now, now...behave yourself...if you get riled up again, it'll take another half a day just to calm you down..."Puffing her cheeks somewhat childishly, Yuri's aura continued to rise as she moved her knee to not-so-gently nudge his sleeping member. Unfortunately, they had already agreed to leave more than a month prior, so, tempting as her behavior might be, Vahn managed to resist, his expression turning serious as he matched her gaze.Realizing he wasn't going to take the bait, Yuri's expression immediately reverted to a more neutral look as she exhaled a sigh as she rose to a seated position. Then, with her noticeably muscular arms crossed beneath her flawless white breasts, she half-heartedly protested, "You're no fun. It's not like there is any rush to leave. At least let me get strong enough to beat those old hags if push comes to shove..."With a somewhat incredulous look on his face, Vahn briefly cast his gaze to the intricate pattern on Yuri's back. This caused her status to immediately appear within his view, a wry smile immediately developing across his face as he replied, "Your Shinsu had increased by an order of magnitude and you're capable of maintaining a form that amplifies your power by nearly five-hundred times...if you go all out, you're nearly three times stronger than Ureko in her base state. How much more power do you need...?"Tilting her head to the side and tapping her arm as if she was in deep thought, Yuri remained silent for nearly half a minute before nodding her head and answering, "Since you're aiming for Tier 7, I at least want to reach the pinnacle of Tier 6. As I am now, even if I were ten-thousand times stronger, I wouldn't be able to defeat a Tier 5 within their Realm, right? At the very least, I want to reach a level where I can punch whoever I want without them being able to simply ignore it."Though she had once been content with her power, meeting Vahn allowed Yuri to understand that even her adoptive father, someone everyone believed to be invincible, was actually near the bottom rungs of the truly powerful. Heck, even a complete monster like Phantaminum, someone capable of freely massacring their way into the very heart of the Imperial Palace wasn't particularly powerful in the grand scheme of things. This gave her the impression she was nothing more than a frog at the bottom of a well, and, had she never chanced upon Vahn, she would have spent the remainder of her days wholly unaware of the vastness of creation...Noticing the determined blaze in Yuri's scarlet eyes, Vahn couldn't help adopting an appreciative smile. Immediately thereafter, however, he mused, "Then you'll need to study. Though it might be possible to reach the pinnacle by focusing wholly on combat, you will always struggle against those with a greater understanding of the Laws."Groaning in response to Vahn's words, Yuri plopped onto her side in a huff, her butt pointed toward him in an obvious attempt to entice him to act. To her credit, this would have succeeded 99% of the time, but, having already resolved himself to depart their little bubble, Vahn managed to restrain his libido by smacking her extremely pliant posterior with enough force to send a visible ripple through it as he said, "Don't pout. This is the path you've chosen. I'm already going to get an earful after the others hear about how long we've been in here. Let's go."Offering a defiant groan in response, Vahn half-expected Yuri to refuse, but, almost immediately thereafter, the fur covering her body vanished into motes of light as she rolled onto her back and said, "Carry me..." with her arms extended upward. This left Vahn feeling a little helpless, but, after an entire year with the rather shameless Princess, he had grown rather accustomed to her random demands. Thus, despite shaking his head in exasperation, he invariably ended up raising Yuri from the ruins of their lovenest before departing the meteoric crater that now dominated the region...---Following a 'very' long explanation and a brief period of relaxation, Vahn emerged from the Little Garden with a somewhat bored-looking Yuri at his side. She didn't even seem to care much about her surroundings, pathetically muttering, "Oh, I almost forgot about this place..." before plopping onto her bed and adding, "Wow...I never realized how shitty my own bed was..."Extending his hand to the black-haired beauty, Vahn pulled her back to her feet before promptly swapping out her bed for something infinitely more comfortable. At the same time, he helped to fix her somewhat unkempt hair as he said, "I'm not going to tell you how to live your life. If you choose to follow along with me, that is the end of the matter. Even if it ends up causing a war, I don't really care as long as you're happy."With an amused smile spreading across her face, Yuri allowed Vahn to fix her hair and attire as she mused, "You're so full of it. Even if you're not lying, we both know you can't help caring about such things. You might be able to fool yourself by pretending to ignore it, but I've never met someone as 'sensitive' as you when it comes to the suffering of others. Don't worry. I can't promise I won't cause trouble, but I can at least ensure it won't immediately be traced back to you. Just make sure to keep your ear to the ground. I'm certain you'll be surprised when you hear the news..."Though he could have easily ascertained her thoughts with the help of the Law of Identity, Vahn just issued a light chuckled before planting a kiss on Yuri's parted lips and saying, "Try not to bully them too much." before following it up with another kiss and adding, "Also, make sure you explain things properly to your Great-Grandmother. I don't mind joining hands with the Ha Family, but there is no way in hell I'm going to become something like a 'Great Father'..."Responding with a chuckle of her own, Yuri motioned to bite Vahn's lip before pushing him away and saying, "You don't have to worry about that. So long as you don't go knocking up my cousin, it shouldn't be too difficult to convince the others you're beyond their means to obtain. The only two you really need to be wary of are those two bitches trying to take over the Family. I should be able to defeat them relatively easily, but that probably won't stop them from trying to approach you in order to gain power. As for my Grandma...well, you're on your own when it comes to her. Just make sure you don't knock her up before me..if you do, I don't care how many times it grows back. I'll cut it off..."Perhaps as an allusion to the method she would employ, Yuri, once again, snapped her teeth before adopting a predatory smile, spinning on her heels, and departing the room. This caused a thin layer of goose pimples to spread across Vahn's arms, not because of Yuri's threat, but because the Law of Identity had transformed into her Great-Grandmother in order to seductively lick her lips and cackle at his expense. This gave Vahn an overwhelming urge to tan her backside, but, knowing she would just enjoy it, he ultimately shook his head before pulling out his Pocket and saying, "Establish contact with the Guardian..."---Sensing a peculiar disturbance within her own power, a woman almost indistinguishable for Yuri, the only difference being that she was slightly older and had a different hairstyle, opened her eyes to reveal a moderate amount of surprise. This caused the servant pouring her drink to immediately freeze in place, sweat appearing across her body as she trembled like a tiny field mouse cornered by a starving lioness.Without showing any indication that she was even aware of the servant girl's presence, a smile spread across the face of the raven-haired woman as she gracefully rose from her altar-like throne. This further surprised the servant girl, as, for the last three years, her mistress had spent the vast majority of her time silently meditating within the vast scarlet chamber. She didn't even stir when the Family gathered once a month to pay their respects; so, when she saw the ornately dressed beauty walked to the center of the hall before pulling out a fiery red Pocket, she began to seriously consider whether or not she was in a dream...Continuing to ignore the servant girl, the raven-haired woman seemed to grow impatient despite the fact her call had only rung twice. By the third ring, an oppressive aura had started to permeate the several-kilometer wide chamber, and, immediately thereafter, all of the glowstones serving to fill the surroundings with pale red light shattered. Fortunately, before the third ring could complete, a somewhat nervous voice could be heard from the receiver, asking, "Yurin? It's rare for you to call me first...is it about our daughter?"Adopting an annoyed frown, the woman, Ha Yurin, Leader of the Ha Family, promptly replied, "She is no longer 'our' daughter. You lost the chance to be her father when you ran away like a whipped dog..."Though he had become accustomed to his former friend and lover's harsh tone, the voice emitting from the receiver could be heard exhaling a melancholic sigh before muttering, "You locked me in a dungeon for weeks under the pretense of whipping me into shape. Without my immortality, I would have died a hundred times over..."Snorting in disdain, Yurin resisted shattering the inordinately expensive Pocket as she crossed her arms and said, "You're such a drama queen. It is because you were immortal that I pushed you to that extent. Stop making excuses for running away. Had you faced me like a man, I wouldn't have been so harsh on you..."After supplying another sigh, the voice on the receiver remained silent for several seconds before asking, "What is the purpose of this call? If you've nothing to discuss, I've more important matters to attend than listening to you ridicule and insult me..."With a predatory smile spreading across her face, Yurin looked like she was ready to devour her own Pocket as she mused, "Oh? Is there actually a backbone in that jellyfish-like body of yours? Go ahead and hang up. I fucking dare you."Rather than responding, the voice on the opposite end remained absolutely silent until Yurin finally clicked her tongue and explained, "I'm not sure what happened, but Yuri just got a lot stronger. You should probably make preparations for her arrival. She isn't particularly fond of your Ari Family after what happened during her climb..."Exhaling a sigh so profound that it caused a depressive atmosphere to descend upon the several-kilometer wide throne room, a tremendous amount of sadness could be heard from the voice on the receiver as its owner, Ari Han, Leader of the Ari Family, replied, "I understand...thank you for the heads up. I'll try and take care of things on my end...just...please don't incite her...it pains me more than you can imagine knowing that my own daughter hates me..."Rather than vocalizing any promises, Yurin promptly cut the call before crossing her arms beneath her rather infamous bust and closing her eyes for the better part of ten minutes. Then, with a slight shake of her head, she muttered, "Sorry, Han, but I already promised that girl that she could live as freely as she pleased..." before turning around and finally taking notice of the young girl standing statuesque next to her throne. This caused the juvenile member of the Ha Family to tense up even further, but, upon hearing her mistress ask, "Have you been there the whole time...?" she couldn't help falling flat on her face due to the sheer incredulity of the situation...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Kuja Trance vibes','*chomp*','I can't help wondering what Yurin's intelligence rating is...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Following his departure from the 44th Floor, Vahn decided to remain relatively low key for a short while. His time with Yuri had exhausted him somewhat, so, even if it was just until he reached the 50th Floor, he wanted to decompress and search for a safe place to deposit people like Eduan, the members of Roen's entourage, and the Arie Siblings.Though he was planning to create a base of operations that would allow the residents of the Little Garden to freely traverse the outside world, Vahn was still of the mind that people needed to face challenges and experience difficulties if they wanted to become truly powerful. He also wanted to avoid increasing the number of people whose fates were tied directly to the Empire and his rather ridiculous rate of growth, so, with this in mind, he was ultimately intending to eject everyone who wasn't a part of his immediate family, a member of his harem, or one of his Templates.With this in mind, Vahn spent several weeks simply gathering information while completing the task assigned to him by the 45th Floor's Guardian, a giant sea urchin whose dimensions were difficult to grasp despite his domain extending for upwards of 90km.Like many of the previous Guardians, the Guardian of the 45th Floor had tasked Vahn was ensuring the safety of a critically endangered species. To this end, Vahn was tasked with traveling to a region many considered to be one of the most dangerous prior to the 100th Floor, a poisonous lake filled with peculiar purple Shinsu that formed countless whirlpools, several of which surpassed a hundred meters in diameter.Immune to the continually evolving toxins in the lake, Vahn had very little difficulty trespassing the hidden village located within its depths. There, he found a species of fairly alien-looking merpeople with dark blue skin, glistening scales covering parts of their bodies, and, most notably, glowing blue mantles that extended from their shoulders and down to their tails, an appendage reminiscent of a bird's tail feathers.As the species rumored to have taught the first generation Wave Controllers how to command the waves, Merfolk had an understandably mythical status among residents of the Tower. Unfortunately, as was often the case, their blood, bones, and other raw materials could be used to create a variety of elixirs, medicines, and even staves capable of manipulating Shinsu. There were even a number of rumors alleging that the flesh of a young Merperson could grant eternal youth upon consumption, so, as could be expected, they had been hunted to near-extinction even before the rise of the Jahad Empire. To make matters even worse, the majority of these rumors were actually true, so, whenever a Merperson appeared within the Tower, they almost always disappeared shortly thereafter.This being the case, Vahn couldn't really blame the remarkably reclusive peoples for attacking him the moment he trespassed their home. Even his usual display of power did little to pacify them, so, much to his dismay, he had been forced to capture them whilst defending himself. This exacerbated the misunderstanding between them quite a bit, but, after a few months of relatively peaceful living in the vast ocean of Shinsu that comprised the Fifth Layer, the High Priestess of the Tribe was finally willing to listen to reason.Despite what her title might suggest, the High Priestess of the Merfolk, for reasons Vahn could only ascribe to fate, appeared to be the youngest among her people. Of course, as was often the case in such situations, she was, in fact, the oldest of her tribe. The reason for her youthful appearance was actually the result of a misunderstanding among the Tower's residents, as, rather than developing in a similar manner to humans, Merfolk were born resembling adults after a seven-year gestation and gradually regressed into a far more powerful child-like state as their power matured.Simply put, the Merfolk that resembled mature warriors were actually the youngest members of the tribe. As a result, they used weapons ranging from Needles to Tridents as they gradually mastered the basics of Shinsu Control and Wave Manipulation. Then, as they matured, they would gradually compress their bodies until they ultimately ended up looking like children between the ages of 10 and 14. Of course, this was only when you compared them to humans, as, more often than not, it took hundreds of years for a Merfolk to reach the point where they could compress themselves into their more 'compact' forms...---Having accepted an invitation to meet and discuss terms, Vahn soon found himself seated across from a youthful-looking Merfolk garbed in little more than a purple sarong, bindings around her arms, breasts, and ankles, and, most notably, several ornaments comprised of seashells and deep-sea stones. This included a large shell that covered her diminutive breasts, which, in reality, were actually bladders that could be inflated or deflated to store and expel Shinsu for emergency use...Though Vahn hadn't expressly cast his gaze upon her body, the High Priestess had long-reached the point where she could sense things like emotion and intent through the subtle fluctuations of the surrounding Shinsu. Thus, even without Vahn brazenly inspecting her body, she was vaguely aware of the fact he was doing 'something' to analyze and evaluate her. This made her feel more than a little uncomfortable, not because she believed he had any licentious thoughts, but because it wouldn't be the first time a human had tried to 'domesticate' them in order to procure a perpetual supply of immortality.With the Law of Identity narrating the woman's thoughts, Vahn couldn't help frowning as he said, "I assure you, as difficult as it might be to believe, I have no need for such things. Rather, if it required me to consume the flesh of the innocent, I wouldn't want to be immortal."Without changing her expression in the slightest, the High Priestess, known among her people as Nami-ue, closed her deep-purple eyes and replied, "I do not profess to have absolute wisdom, but I would wager that my people have been betrayed more than any other race within the Tower. We have trusted in your kind countless times in the past. In the end, the greed of humanity will always win against reason. You might not desire the bounties our bodies provide, but that does not mean those around you will share in your sentiments. Still, for the sake of my people and our continued existence, I am willing to compromise with you. Tell me, what must we provide in exchange for the release of our youngest? Even if you genuinely wish to protect us, we would rather not entrust the survival of our species to someone with the power and means to imprison us at his leisure...if you are truly a friend of the Merfolk, you will not keep us against our will..."Having heard similar arguments from the leaders of other Native Ones, Vahn wasn't particularly surprised by Nami-ue's words. Thus, without even needing to consider his words, he nodded his head and explained, "Capturing you wasn't exactly my preferred course of action. Under normal circumstances, I would have convinced you outside before accepting a few families and allowing them to prove my claims. To that end, I am more than willing to free all of you in the hopes that it will help smooth relations between our two peoples and pave the way forward for the prosperity of all Merfolk."With the intent of expressing his sincerity, Vahn, who had been sitting in seiza, bowed his head in a respectful and apologetic fashion. This caused Nami-ue's aura to fluctuate in a manner indicative of surprise and disbelief, but, as could be expected, her expression revealed neither of these emotions. Instead, she appeared completely apathetic, and, due to the surrounding temperature nearing -4°C, she gave off the impression of someone remarkably cold and distant.After several long seconds of silence, the majority of which involved Nami-ue simply staring at the top of Vahn's head, the youthful-looking High Priestess once again closed her eyes as she said, "As the leader of my people, ensuring our survival is my highest priority. To that end, I have little choice but to trust you. To that end, I would propose some form of mutualistic or cultural exchange. Even if your intentions are pure, even the magnanimity of the strong has its limits. Without some form of equivalent exchange, anxieties are bound to arise regarding your true motives..."Though he understood the woman's skepticism, Vahn ultimately raised his head before shaking it as he explained, "There is plenty of time to discuss such things during the period in which your people are exploring the territory I have prepared for them. For now, we should focus on transporting your people outside. I'm sure your young ones would feel more relaxed once they are in a more familiar setting. As comfortable as the conditions in Little Garden are, I understand they are no replacement for the concept of 'home'."Nodding her head in affirmation, Nami-ue was about to rise in order to personally inform the tribe of their return a peculiar shift occurred in the surrounding Shinsu. Immediately thereafter, a feeling of familiarity donned upon her as Vahn supplied an amused smile and revealed, "It's done. I'll leave you to convince your people not to run away. Of course, if you feel compelled to send a few off, just to be safe, I won't stop you. Instead, I will wait here until you are ready to discuss matters in greater detail."With that said, Vahn picked up his now-chilled cup of tea, heat flowing from his palms to quickly heat it as he closed his eyes to take a sip. This left Nami-ue to stare at him silently, various thoughts conflicting within her mind until she ultimately returned a curt nod and said, "I will return shortly..." before swimming off in a manner similar to a Shinheuh. This was a rather strange sight to behold considering the density of Shinsu wasn't particularly dense, but, as he had seen far stranger things, Vahn simply sampled his tea without paying it much attention...---When all was said and done, Vahn managed to convince the Merfolk in much the same way as the other native tribes. He provided them the opportunity to increase their numbers in a remarkably short period of time whilst also allowing them to interact with the other tribes under his protection. Most importantly, however, was the fact that he had made it clear from the start that they could not stay within the Little Garden indefinitely. He also revealed his status as a God, his affiliation with the Tower's Guardians, and, most notably, his ability to transform into virtually any race. This last ability was especially important, as, more than anything else, the Merfolk feared being harvested for their immortality and being treated as little more than livestock.By demonstrating his ability to not only become a Merfolk but create seemingly infinite copies of himself, Vahn was able to convince the few remaining skeptics that he simply had no need for the resources they might provide. He even went a step further by agreeing to Nami-ue's proposition and producing a Merfolk Template to act as both an intermediary and proxy. This resulted in a few awkward interactions between them, but, after presiding over the duo's marriage and leaving them to their own devices for a few years, Vahn, or, more specifically, his Template was able to convince her that they were separate entities. This saved the original Vahn quite a lot of trouble, as, despite thinking Nami-ue was cute, he wasn't particularly interested in becoming the Chieftain of a Native Tribe...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn is like a parent that wants their kids to get out of the house...','Their true forms are larger than orcas...just saying...','Vahn used Substitute! It's Super Effective...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though he had expected things to get a little intense, even Vahn was beginning to feel exasperated by the eve of his tenth consecutive day of lovemaking. Without using extreme means, it seemed like Yuri's stamina and willpower would never run out; as, every time she was on the verge of defeat, her [Descendent of the War Goddess] Innate would consume the energy he had suffused into her body to provide a seemingly endless number of second winds.With her strength steadily increasing, combined with the fact she was aware of their functionally limitless time, Yuri's 'enthusiasm' never seemed to subside. She was having more fun over these last ten days than the hundreds of years preceding them, so, unless Vahn submitted and allowed her to take control of the situation, she had no intention of backing down. After all, the longer their battle went on, the greater her pleasure and the more powerful she became. This, combined with the fact it would be quite the conversational piece if she managed to endure for several weeks, months, or even years, compelled Yuri to keep rising irrespective of the condition Vahn had left her body in...Fortunately for Yuri, Vahn wasn't exactly known for doing things half-assedly. Some of the items he had forged took multiple months to complete, so, while he couldn't help feeling exasperated, Yuri's zeal wasn't wasted on him. He was also curious to see if she could achieve a breakthrough similar to Modred, so, every time her blood-crimson aura effectively resurrected her, a wry smile would briefly appear across his face before he subsequently psyched himself up for another round. He took great pride in being able to satisfy all of his women, so, regardless of how long it took, he wouldn't be the one to concede...---Having weakened the bond between him and his original self, so much so that he almost qualified as a Template, Vahn's offshoot was only vaguely aware of what was happening within the temporal distortion created by his counterpart. Instead, he busied himself with performing maintenance on the Black March and Green April, a relaxed smile on his face despite the fact the former preferred to observe the process whilst peeking over his shoulder with her arms around his neck.Fortunately, despite her apparent tangibility, there were virtually no sensations whenever the Black March pressed herself against him. There was only a feeling of 'awareness' whenever they were in contact, and, though he was able to do things like caress her head, it was almost like he was petting empty air. This made it pretty easy to overlook her antics, as, even when she released hot-sounding sighs, the usual tepidity and moisture never came. It was almost like an auditory hallucination, and, were he to willfully ignore them, both Spirits would gradually disappear from his perception...As the only person capable of directly interacting with their spiritual forms, Vahn felt it would be a little mean-spirited of him to completely ignore the two former Princesses. The truth of the matter was that they were desperately lonely, and, as a result of being sacrificed during the very first round of the Princess Selection Trials, they were understandably consumed by pessimism, resentment, and other negative emotions. They were also prisoners within their respective 13 Month Series, so, while it was a bit indulgent of him, Vahn didn't mind spoiling them when the opportunity presented itself.To this end, Vahn spent the better part of an hour wiping down the body of the Black March before polishing her blade to the point that a faultless gloss covered its entire length. This resulted in the Spirit of the Black March panting in his ear and writhing about quite a bit, but, without any weight to produce inertia, her movements didn't interfere with the process. Instead, they caused the Spirit of the Green April to develop an increasingly more potent blush as the commencement of her own maintenance drew ever closer...Finished with the Black March's maintenance, Vahn held her up to inspect his work from numerous angles. This included looking down the length of her blade from the base of her hilt, an action that earned him an impassioned laugh from the blade's spirit as she teasingly remarked, "That's my butt you're putting near your face..."Ignoring the remark completely, Vahn rotated the blade in order to view the sheen from the other side. This caused the Spirit of the Black March's face to turn considerably redder, but, this time, she opted not to inform him of which part of her body he was near. Instead, she gradually released her hold on his neck, levitating away from him before directing her gaze to the Spirit of the Green April and adopting a teasing smile.Clicking her tongue in response to the Black March's amused expression, the Green April resisted the urge to call the golden-haired brat a bitch as she floated over to Vahn's back and took a seat with her own resting against his. Being in contact with his body drastically increased the amount of resonance between them, and, while it wasn't necessary to perform the maintenance, being able to feel something as a Spirit was more meaningful than most people could imagine. They had existed for thousands of years without being able to experience such stimulus, so, even if she hadn't fallen to a similar extent as the Black March, it was impossible for her to hate the only person capable of making her feel alive...With a gentle smile spreading across his face, Vahn set the Black March against a bed of hot towels before picking up the hook-like Green April. This caused the Spirit at his back to tense up, but, the moment his index and middle fingers traced along the backside of her shank, her tensions gradually eased as a contented sigh escaped her body. (A/N: The shank of a hook is the larger part before the bend and barb.)Though he had a substantial number of tools and fabrics to carry out the maintenance, Vahn always started with a massage of sorts. He was perfectly capable of producing oil from his fingertips, a skill he had borrowed from the Chacha Sisters, and, most importantly, the sapience of the two 13 Month Series made them highly susceptible to his Petting Laws and Hands of Nirvana. The Green April was particularly weak against these two, as, unlike the Black March, the material of her body was similar to crystalized yet highly flexible plant fibers. This allowed her to function similarly to a whip during combat, but, in his hands, it meant she was remarkably malleable and pliant.Doing his best to ignore the muffled cries and phantom trembling from his back, Vahn waited until the Green April had become completely limp before gently kneading her full length over the course of twenty or so minutes. This caused dew-like moisture to build along her grass-colored shank, but, having experienced this a handful of times during previous sessions, Vahn kept a hot towel on hand to counteract this particular phenomenon. Then, with a subtle rainbow hue suffusing the entirety of his palm, he grabbed the base of the Green March, restoring her rigidity and subsequently restoring her original form.Though he could have wrapped things up then and there, Vahn lightly flicked several sections of the Green April, each impact causing the entire length of her 'blade' to hum similarly to a tuning fork. Afterward, he flipped her upside down before pulling out a series of small brushes and loose fabrics to wipe down and clean between the creases of her hilt. This caused the Spirit of the Green April to bury her face into her knees, tightly embracing them as he methodically attended each of the most sensitive spots of her body. This process lasted an additional half-hour, and, by the end, both Spirit and weapon had started to release an emerald-green glow that left the former clinging to his back while the latter vibrated with enough force to produce subtle ripples in the surrounding Shinsu.Finished with the procedure, Vahn gave the physical body of the Green April a careful examination before placing her atop a bed of her own. Then, despite knowing she might react negatively to any form of acknowledgment in her current state, he surprised the Spirit of the Green April by rising to his feet, turning around, and gently caressing her head. This caused an immediate scowl to develop across her beet-red face, but, before she could say anything, he interrupted her by whispering, "It's okay. The Black March might tease you a little, but no one here will judge you...it isn't a weakness to want to feel something..."Shaking her head to escape from Vahn's palm, the Green April responded by muttering, "Insatiable beast..." before looking up at him and adding, "Don't think I'll fall for your tricks like some lost child swayed by sweets. I might be willing to ignite for you, but you're mistaken if you think I'll be swayed by the 'sincerity' of someone with more than a hundred lovers..."Despite the severity of her words, her ruddy complexion, combined with the conflicted look in her eyes, made it pretty obvious the Green April wasn't being sincere. Thousands of years of loneliness had left a deep impression on her heart and mind, yet, in spite of this, the brief moments she spent with Vahn seemed to be overwriting her past grievances and suppressing her desire for revenge. It was for this reason that she opposed growing any closer to him, as, for the last six-thousand-years, revenge was what had defined her existence...Offering a sad smile in response to the Green April's biting words, Vahn decided not the press the matter any further. Instead, he placed the duo into his personalized Arms Inventory, a variant that greatly resembled a golden throne combined with a futuristic command console. There were also twelve slots located along its periphery, as, rather than a simple Arms Inventory, it was intended to serve as a replacement for the artifact intended to house the 12 weapons comprising the 13 Month Series.Feeling a remarkable amount of comfort, an intrigued smile developed across the face of the Black March as the Green April's glowering expression gradually faded away. Then, as could be expected, the latter promptly asked, "What is this Arms Inventory? It feels familiar..."Nodding her head in agreement, the Black March chimed in, saying, "It reminds me of that boy with black hair on the Floor of Tests. I think his name was the 25th Baam...?"Smiling in response to the Black March's surprising astuteness, Vahn created a life-like projection of Baam as he explained, "Though I have yet to ascertain the full and complete truth, I can say with a reasonable degree of certainty that Jahad's intentions for tracking down Arlen were to implant the Arms Inventory of the 13 Month Series into Baam's body. I have even begun to suspect that he was in cahoots with the 'God' that made contact with Arlene following her departure from the Tower..."Though he could have said more, Vahn ultimately shook his head since most of what he was saying was complete speculation. Most of the information he had been able to obtain was from someone who had gone mad following the loss of her child and the subsequent suicide of her lover. The rest was based on tidbits of information he had been able to obtain from Jahad and a few key members within the Workshop. Unfortunately, due to her inability to violate the contracts of people she was emulating, the Law of Identity couldn't even shake or nod in response to any questions that might expose the truth...Confusing the two girls, Vahn opted to take a seat atop the golden throne before subtly changing the subject by answering the Green April's initial question, explaining, "This is a prototype Arms Inventory designed and manufactured by the members of my R&D Division. Once I have gathered the rest of your sisters, it will allow me to make good on our previous promise. Of course, you still have the option of allowing me to nullify your agreement with the King and allowing me to provide you with new bodies..."As tempting as it was to regain a flesh and blood body in the shortest period of time, neither the Black March nor the Green April seemed phased by the offer. They had persisted for thousands of years with the end goal of reclaiming their original bodies, so, with that fated day fast approaching, neither intended to change course when the finish line was right in front of them. A part of this was due to the compulsion of their contract, but, more than anything else, it was their inherent desire to be whole again the resulted in the two lolis shaking their heads and refusing to compromise...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Yuri is like a speedrunner who just found a bug to exploit xD...','Vahn is very meticulous (OwO)...','A tiny dash of plot to spice things up~"https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1951: Stirrings